(McClatchy Newspapers) -- When the question, "What's for dinner?" comes up, having a few go-to one-skillet recipes makes it easy. Today's recipe is one to have tucked away. It makes use of key ingredients to have on hand — boneless, skinless chicken breasts, bacon, Dijon mustard and maple syrup. I know — I had you at bacon.

Who doesn't love bacon? Pardon the cliche, but it's now as American as apple pie. And before long, someone will put it in apple pie — if they haven't already.

In fact, the average American eats nearly 18 pounds of bacon per year.

Never be without bacon in your home was one slice of advice Lucinda Scala Quinn offered up in her 2009 book "Mad Hungry — Feeding Men and Boys: Recipes, Strategies & Survival Techniques" (Artisan, $18.95).

"You can always whip something up if you can layer it with bacon," Quinn said in an interview.

Quinn is the executive director of food and entertaining at Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia.

In the next few weeks Quinn's "Mad Hungry Cravings" (Artisan, $27.95) will be out. In her latest book, Quinn shares her take on ethnic restaurant and takeout recipe favorites.

Not only is bacon an ingredient in today's recipe, the chicken is cooked in the leftover bacon fat. (I didn't say the recipe was low-fat.)

You can use any favorite chopped bacon in this recipe, but using pepper bacon gives the Dijon sauce a peppery zip. The sauce, paired with that yummy bacon flavor, turns out sweet and salty and has a little tang to it.

The cooked and chopped bacon also becomes an ingredient in the couscous, which is cooked in the same skillet. But the finished dish takes on different flavor profiles; it doesn't all taste like bacon.

If you're not familiar with couscous, there are two varieties: the regular grain-like couscous and the pearl couscous.

MAPLE-DIJON CHICKEN WITH BACON COUSCOUS

Serves: 4

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Total time: 45 minutes

If you don't have 2 tablespoons of fat in the skillet after frying the bacon, supplement with vegetable oil. Substitute regular couscous for the pearl if desired.

¼ cup Dijon mustard

¼ cup maple syrup

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon black pepper

4 slices bacon, diced

4 (4- to 5-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed

1 shallot, peeled and minced

1¼ cups fat-free, low-sodium chicken broth

1 cup pearl (Israeli) couscous

1 tablespoon parsley, freshly chopped

2 teaspoons cider vinegar

In a small bowl, whisk the mustard, maple syrup, ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper; set aside. In a 12-inch nonstick skillet cook the bacon over medium heat until crisp, 6 to 8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to a paper towel-lined plate.

Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of fat from skillet and return pan to medium-high heat until fat shimmers. Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Cook chicken until golden brown and meat registers 160 degrees, about 6 minutes per side. Transfer to platter, brush with mustard mixture, and tent loosely with aluminum foil. (You might not use all of the mustard mixture depending on the size of the chicken breasts.)

Add shallot to now-empty skillet and cook over medium heat until softened, about 3 minutes. Add broth and bring to simmer. Stir in couscous, cover, remove from heat, and let stand for 5 minutes. Stir cooked bacon, parsley and vinegar into couscous. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve couscous and chicken with any remaining Dijon sauce on the side.

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